"NRG Texas Power, LLC (NRG Texas) owns and operates the SR Bertron Electric Generating Station (Bertron Station)," said the notice. "NRG Texas is proposing to construct an additional electric power generation block at the Bertron Station which will generate electric power for sale on the wholesale electric market. The Bertron 5 Power Project (Bertron 5) will include a new power block that can be operated in simple cycle or combined cycle modes. Ancillary equipment includes an auxiliary boiler and fugitives. Combustion Turbine and Heat Recovery Steam Generator Bertron 5 will consist of two gas fired combustion turbines (CTGs) each equipped with a supplementary fired [duct burners (DBs)] heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The CTGs and DBs are fueled with pipeline quality natural gas. The CTGs will operate in simple cycle and combined cycle modes."

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This application, filed in November 2014, was processed in an expedited manner. That application came right after the TCEQ took over greenhouse gas permitting in the state from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 6 office.

The permitting covers multiple options for this new unit at Bertron: Two General Electric (NYSE: GE) Model 7FA (GE7FA) CTGs each rated at nominal capability of 215 MW. Each CTG will be equipped with a heat recovery steam generator with associated duct burners each rated at 523 million British thermal units per hour. Two General Electric Model 7HA (GE7HA) CTGs each rated at nominal capability of 359 MW. Each CTG will be equipped with a heat recovery steam generator with associated duct burners each rated at 301 million British thermal units per hour. Two Siemens Model F5 (SF5) CTGs each rated at nominal capability of 225 MW. Each CTG will be equipped with a heat recovery steam generator and associated duct burners each rated at 688 million British thermal units per hour. Two Mitsubishi Heavy Industries G Frame (MHI501G) CTGs each rated at a nominal electric output of 263 MW. Each CTG will be equipped with a heat recovery steam generator and associated duct burners each rated at 686 million British thermal units per hour.

Second new NRG unit also nearing a final greenhouse gas permit

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality had said in another March 6 notice, this one posted to its website on March 9, that it plans to approve a greenhouse gas permit that will allow NRG Texas Power to construct Unit 5 at the Cedar Bayou Station located at Baytown in Chambers County. This application, filed this past November, was also processed in an expedited manner. That Cedar Bayou project is very similar to the one at Bertron, including the options for GE, Siemens and Mitsubishi gas turbines.

TCEQ said in that notice: "NRG Texas Power, LLC (NRG Texas) owns and operates the Cedar Bayou Electric Generating Station (Cedar Bayou Station). NRG Texas is proposing to construct an additional electric power generation block (Cedar Bayou 5) at the Cedar Bayou Station which will generate electric power for sale on the wholesale electric market. The Cedar Bayou 5 Power Project will include a new power block that can be operated in simple cycle or combined cycle modes. Ancillary equipment includes an auxiliary boiler and fugitives."

NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) said in a July 2014 filing at the Texas Public Utility Commission that it has been permitting about 1,400 MW of new capacity in the area around Houston: the Cedar Bayou Unit 5, 2x1 combined cycle gas turbine facility (about 700 MW net); and S.R. Bertron Unit 5, 2x1 combined cycle gas turbine facility (about 700 MW net).